The "JUST 2 MINUTES" rule (literature.cafe)

submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by pugnaciousfarter@literature.cafe to c/adhd@lemmy.world

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The rule:

I tell myself "Do this work for only two minutes and then if you don't feel like it, it's too stressful, just give up!".

Why the JUST TWO MINUTES rule works for me SOMETIMES:

Helps start the work:

It's easier to convince myself to start on something, if it's for just two minutes.

Gets SOME work done:

Even if all you did in those two minutes was read the problem statement, you have made far more progress than doing NOTHING - which plays into NON-ZERO DAYS.

Kickstarts more work:

Sometimes those two minutes can help you kickstart a whole session of executive functioning. It might make me look at a problem which I was too stressed to even look at, but which later turns out to be actually quite simple.

Guiltless reprieve:

If nothing else it at least gives me the guiltless reprieve after I am done working for those two minutes. I will pickup social media again to get the dopamine hit, but I did something! I can take a break and try again.

Notes: This is a very janky method, but it surprisingly works sometimes. It doesn't work always - especially if my stress levels are very high or I am out of will power or physical energy.

What do you guys think?

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[-] pleasestopasking@reddthat.com 3 points 6 days ago

I have a corollary of this: time to get ready, drive somewhere, etc. only exists in 15 minute increments.

If I think something is a 5 minute drive, it's because the time I hit every single green light and there wasn't a single car. If I tell myself I need 15 minutes then I probably end up about 5 minutes early which is so much better than constantly being late. Same for like, "all I need to go l do is put my shoes on and grab my coat so I'm going to waste time doing something into right before I have to leave." Nope. I need 15 minutes dedicated strictly to getting ready to walk out the door. Gives me time to find my keys, change my mind about what shoes I want to wear, decide I want to fill up my water bottle before I leave, the dozen little things I always forget are part of getting out the door. It usually doesn't take 15 minutes, so it then gives me a bit of extra cushion for traveling to whatever's next.

I used to be late to everything and now I'm early for everything and much less stressed.

this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2026

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